The first job was to remove both front forks to replace the fork seals, this was a fiddly job, but thankfully Kiv's has a lot (in fact all) his tools are exceptional high quality (Teng etc). We removed the springs, drained the existing fluid (which was below the normal level) and someone had bunged in a bit of cloth beneath the dust seal to try and stem the flow of oil, rather than replace the fork seal!!! the forks were then reassembled (with nre oil and filters) and put back, the front wheel then being put back on.
Kivi also skillfully took apart he indicators and mended them so they are now level. The spark plug was replaced (although the existing one was in good condition) and the air filter was replaced (although again, this had clearly been replaced recently). The oil draining was, however, a bit of an issue, the drain bolt on the frame was no problem, but the drain plug on the crank case had been rounded, and therefore only a partial oil change was possible. The oil filter was also replaced.
It was then time for the ride......I followed Kivi (on his Yamaha XT600E) up through Derry, and into Donegall, twisting on the back roads, it is still very much a case of me getting my confidence up, although on the main roads this isn't a problem. We drove up to Greenan Fort (Grianán of Ailech) and the view down to the valley was breathtaking.
The fort lies atop a small mountain, the stone fort being a later rebuild, however, the site itself is most definitely prehistoric.....the ditches still clearly visible in the landscape surrounding the stone monument - there is little doubt that a stone monument was here, but one should not believe that what is seen today is original.
The ride back was also brilliant, sweeping curves of the main roads in Donegal. The back end of the SLR felt a bit "soft"....so I was delighted to hear (after I'd got home) that Kivi had continued to work on the rear shock, firming up the rear end by adjusting the rear shock.
